Description
Light Up the Fire is the debut album by the British folk-rock group Parchment, released on PYE Records in November 1972. It became the first of countless British Jesus music albums to be produced by John Pantry, who earlier had worked with major artists like Kinks, Small Faces, Pentangle, Manfred Mann’s Earth Band and the early (pre-disco) Bee Gees. John Pac (John Paculabo), a singer/songwriter, guitar, sitar and mandolin player, formed Parchment with fellow folksters Sue McClellan and Keith Rycroft. The band became the very first act to emerge from the embryonic UK Christian music scene to make the British pop charts and the only group coming of the Christian coffee bar scene of the ’60s to experience mainstream pop success.
The album track “Love Is Come Again” was later included on the multi-artist mainstream compilation Dust on the Nettles: A Journey Through the British Underground Folk Scene 1967-1972 released on Grapefruit/Cherry Red Records in 2015.
The roots of Parchment go back to a Liverpool gospel folk band, Trinity Folk, founded by John Pac in the late ’60s. By 1970 the group was playing the Beat Capital concert alongside other Christian acts The Crossbeats, Time Ltd and Christian poet Keith Rycroft (of the band Gospel Light). John and Sue were in the original Trinity Folk group and Keith joined as they wrote and recorded “Light Up The Fire” as a special song for the Festival Of Jesus in August 1972. Pye Records agreed to release the single in September 1972. From then on Trinity Folk were known as Parchment.
Parchment became the very first act to emerge from the embryonic UK Christian music scene to make the British pop charts. In November 1972, their single “Light Up The Fire” made No. 26 on the NME charts, up there with Elton John, Elvis Presley and Bill Withers. Even though BBC didn’t given the single the airplay it deserved “Light Up The Fire” peaked at No. 31 in the BBC pop chart underneath Elton John, and was placed at 21 by Radio Luxemburg as well. In November 1972 Parchment’s full-length album was released via Pye Records, in conjunction with the gospel label Key Records. The album established their trademark sound by combining instruments of traditional British Isles folk music with more modern rock elements. John Pac and Sue McClellan kept Parchment going for six years. During that time, in the band, they worked with Keith Rycroft, Jeff Crow, Brian Smith and Pete Yates-Round and published four highly acclaimed albums.
Everything on the album can be safely tagged ‘contemporary folk’ but the range of sounds and moods is vast, from the stomping «Zip Bam Boo!» to the traditional «Pack Up Your Sorrows». The mystic «Son Of God» to the beautiful «True Summer». Parchment are three distinct people who have combined their individual abilities to make one very effective unit. There’s genial John Pac, who is very much the glue holding things together. There’s Keith Rycroft, probably the deepest thinker of the three of them. And there is the girl in the middle – Sue McClellan. The members of Parchment all sing, all play a variety of instruments and all write songs, which probably explains why the album is so varied, interesting and compelling. [Buzz Magazine, 1972]
Parchment began as the Liverpool trio of John Pac, Sue McClellan and Keith Rycoft. With John and Sue as the mainstays, the group would go on to contribute four essential LPs of British progressive folkrock, carrying the influences of bands like Fairport Convention, Steeleye Span and Pentangle. The group’s debut is an absolute classic. Originally released on the British mainstream Pye label (and later re-issued on Grapevine) Light Up The Fire established their trademark sound by combining instruments of traditional British Isles folk music (acoustic guitar, mandolin, dulcimer, finger cymbals, violin, recorder) with more modern rock elements. Psych buffs will want to tune in for «Love Is Come Again» and «Son Of God», both great psychedelic acid folk tunes that make use of Pac’s sitar. Festive foot stompers come in the form of «Zip Bam Boo» and «Better Than Yesterday», the later featuring Rycroft’s steel dobro. In between you’ll find effective sampling of zestful folk («Till The Morning Comes»), solemn ballads («True Summer»), delicate folksy numbers («Roundabout», «Do You Love Me?») and melodic folkrock («Ship Out On The Ocean»). Closes with a roguish sing-along of «Pack Up Your Sorrows». Large foldout lyric insert included. A Perfect album that more or less defines British Jesus music. [Ken Scott, The Archivist, 4th edition]
LP tracklist:
Side One
A1. “Light Up The Fire”
A2. “Till The Morning Comes”
A3. “Roundabout”
A4. “Where Can I Find You”
A5. “Love Is Come Again”
A6. “Ship Out On The Ocean”
Side Two
B1. “Zip Bam Boo!”
B2. “True Summer”
B3. “Do You Love Me?”
B4. “Son Of God”
B5. “Better Than Yesterday”
B6. “Pack Up Your Sorrows”
Note: The LP was housed in a textured album sleeve with a lyric poster insert. Re-issued on CD by Kingsway Music in 1989 as a part of their Kingsway Classics series.
“Where Can I Find You?”, Single Version
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